While quick to stomp them when down, we Americans are
exceedingly forgiving when fallen sports, political and
entertainment heroes show signs of recovering their former glory.
With a soft spot for philanderers, drug addicts and the generally
misdirected, we cheer when the fallen rebound-think Marv Albert (a
fine sportscaster who looks good in hose), Bill Clinton (hate him
or love him, the man just keeps coming back) and Julia Roberts
(remember Mary Reilly and Everyone Says I Love You?).
You may find solace in these comeback tales, especially when the
salesperson you hired to make rain is in the midst of a serious
drought.

Consider the career trajectory of "Steve" (not his
real name), a salesperson who, after 20 years of stellar
performance in the printing business, hit rough waters at Great
Lakes Cos. in Cleveland. With a national clientele, the $45 million
printing company was diversifying by adding three new companies and
several specialties, including database management, pre-press and
digital management services. While the new product lines were a
must, the supporting technologies proved onerous for Steve. Unable
to answer customers' questions, the printing veteran was
producing frightful sales stats.

Fortuitously for Steve's career, Great Lakes is headed by
president and CEO Jim Schultz. Schultz knew Steve was struggling to
keep up with fast-moving technology and that print reps were
becoming obsolete. But Schultz also knew Steve and his co-workers
were essential to connecting with customers, so he started an
in-house program to train the reps on the electronic side of
publishing. He gave the entire sales staff laptops and sent them
all to a 10-week course. Schultz says the investment paid off big
time, especially for Steve, who is now back in the top 10 percent
of the sales force. "He was a very strong rep who got caught
behind the times," says Schultz. "With training,
we've helped create a future in the business for him."

Why does a once-great performer end up sucking wind? There could
be lots of reasons: Health concerns, troubles at home, a cooling
economy, loss of interest in the job, dissatisfaction with pay and
lack of understanding of new products can all lead to declining
sales. It's important to diagnose a problem quickly and start
working with the troubled rep right away. The longer you wait, the
deeper the hole. "If the top half of your sales funnel is
empty, you're in a world of hurt," says Andrew J. Birol,
business development consultant and author of Focus. Accomplish. Grow. The Business
Owner's Guide to Growth (Pacer Associates Inc.).
Inactivity kills, he adds, so the best antidote is action, such as
encouraging reps to re-establish contact with buyers nurtured over
the years.

To help end a sales slump, Dave Stein, president of The Stein
Advantage Inc., a sales consulting firm in Mahopoc, New York, says
the sales manager must diagnose the cause of the slump in an open
and nonthreatening discussion with the rep. "After the
salesperson has accepted responsibility for not achieving past
performance levels, he must contribute to devising a plan to
overcome obstacles," advises Stein. Plans should include
quantified objectives, time frames and both revenue-based and
non-revenue-based performance measurements. When it comes time to
re-evaluate performance, Stein cautions that you may need to accept
the reality that some reps just aren't able to adapt to changes
in their markets, companies or careers. Alas, for every Julia
Roberts, there's a Gary Coleman.